


To Be Known

by Rina_san28



Series: Overwatch Fluff Fest [9]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Awkwardness, Gen, Getting to Know Each Other, Noodle Dragons, Pre-Fall of Overwatch, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-11
Updated: 2020-02-12
Packaged: 2021-02-27 19:27:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22660975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rina_san28/pseuds/Rina_san28
Summary: Gabriel is stuck with a completed mission and a new recruit.Twice.
Relationships: Jesse McCree & Genji Shimada, Jesse McCree & Moira O'Deorain, Jesse McCree & Reaper | Gabriel Reyes, Moira O'Deorain & Genji Shimada, Moira O'Deorain & Reaper | Gabriel Reyes, Reaper | Gabriel Reyes & Genji Shimada
Series: Overwatch Fluff Fest [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1248356
Comments: 11
Kudos: 79





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I am back from my study abroad and recovered from both jetlag and the flu, so we are back in business. This here has two chapters, and then I have two more fics in progress before I'm declaring this finished, I think. Maybe I'll add one or two later, but after what I'm regarding as the finale fic I'm going to go ahead and mark this sucker completed. There's plenty of material between then and now, though, so don't you worry! I just want to make sure this is done before Overwatch 2 comes out (AHHH)! 
> 
> This first chapter takes place roughly three years before the fall of Overwatch.

_“This storm doesn’t look like it’ll let up anytime soon,”_ Sojourn said, her voice tinny over the shaky connection. _“You three made it to the safehouse?”_

Gabe nodded. “Gotta admit, I wasn’t expecting a townhouse. Bit fancier than our normal stuff.”

_“It’s Boston. There’s nothing_ but _townhomes.”_ The screen went static for a moment, then resolved. _“It’s coming on fast now, so I’ll let you go,”_ she said. _“If I could find you another transport-”_

“Don’t worry about it,” he said. “We can wait a day or so. You folks batten down the hatches over there.”

_“Will do, Gabriel. Sojourn out.”_

“So we’re stuck here?” Jesse asked from his blanket pile on the sofa.

Gabe shrugged. “Maybe a day or two,” he said, “I’m not too concerned. That does mean we need some groceries.”

“There’s canned food.”

“We’re in a city with a wide array of cuisines and you wanna eat canned beans? You sure you’re my son?”

Jesse rolled to his feet. “I mean, I ain’t gonna say _no_. Just tryin’a be logical.”

“You aren’t that great at it, _mijo_.” Gabe looked down at their team’s new addition. “What about you, kid? Care for a change of scenery?”

Genji looked up. “…Can we get ice cream?” he asked quietly, a rare show of personality from the young man.

“That can be arranged,” Gabe said, grinning internally. “Let’s move out.”

\-----

A short walk landed them in an old-style Irish pub complete with a small pack of musicians in the corner. Gabe chose a seat near enough for the music to cover their conversation, but far enough away to still be inconspicuous.

“We’re not the only ones stuck,” he told his charges, “there’s six or seven others. Pretty much the entire strike team, actually.”

“That’s what you get for puttin’ a Watchpoint in a place that’s covered in snow nine months outta the year,” Jesse grumbled.

“Hey, it went where the government said it could go,” Gabe said. “Trust me, I would love for it to be further south so I wouldn’t be freezing my ass off whenever I have an American mission.”

“It cannot be that bad,” Genji said.

“Just wait till we get there,” Jesse said. “You’ll see real quick.”

“Let’s get to business.” Gabe pulled out a notepad and scrawled _Shopping List_ at the top. “Any requests? Keep in mind, this is only for a couple of days.”

Jesse scratched his beard, a new habit he’d picked up. “I dunno,” he said, “maybe some pasta?”

“That sounds good,” Genji agreed. “I like the ones that are little bowties.”

“Then we’ll get the bowties,” Gabe said, jotting it down. “You both want in on some meatballs?” They nodded. “Good, looks like I’m not disowning you today.”

They came up with a smattering of other ideas until they got their lunch. Jesse blinked in shock at the massive sandwich on the plate in front of Genji, who was eying it as a predator would its prey. “How’re you gonna fit all that in there?” Jesse asked, gesturing vaguely to the entirety of the cyborg. “You’re a tiny li’l fucker.”

“I’ve eaten much more than this,” Genji said. “I could probably eat you if I tried hard enough.”

Gabriel sighed. “Lunch now, cannibalism later.”

“Is it truly cannibalism if I am thirty-nine-point-eight-percent mechanical?”

“Jesus fucking Christ.”

\-----

Gabriel dragged the boys through a series of small shops, including a cornerstore run by an elderly woman who only spoke Spanish and her fat old tomcat. Only the reminder of ice cream had managed to coax Genji away from the fuzzball and back into town.

“Why didn’t we just hit up a supermarket or somethin’?” Jesse grumbled, leaning against the T-station wall. “Would’a been a hell of a lot faster.”

“This is cheaper and gets us higher quality stuff, kid,” Gabriel said. “I could still make you buy your own ice cream if you keep up that attitude.”

Jesse wisely shut his mouth.

“Are pets allowed on base?” Genji asked suddenly.

Gabriel blinked. “Uh…yes?” he said. “That cat seemed to have a nice owner, if you got a bit too attached.”

“No, I mean-” Genji huffed and ran a hand through his mop of black hair, an unusually human gesture for the usually reserved young man. “If I were to have a…pet…would I get penalized in any way?”

“No, you’re fine,” Gabriel said, puzzled but mildly suspicious. “Just as long as you have arrangements for it to be cared for when you’re in the field.”

“That will not be a problem,” Genji said.

“You got a pet rock?” Jesse asked. “I think most things need fed.”

Nervously, Genji looked left, then right around the empty platform before whispering in rapid Japanese to his right arm, which began to glow green in a very non-mechanical way. The light coalesced into a ball for just a moment, then elongated into-

“Is that a fucking dragon?” Gabriel asked weakly.

The green, translucent dragon cocked its head at him in a very cat-like manner, chirped, and skittered up Genji’s arm to wrap around his neck like a scarf.

“This is Soba,” Genji said, scratching it under its chin. “She is my spirit guardian.” It – or _she_ , Gabriel supposed – purred and nuzzled closer. “Every child of the Shimada head receives at least one at birth.”

“So she’s been hangin’ around since you were a tot?” Jesse seemed to be taking the situation fairly well.

“Not in physical form, of course,” Genji said. “An infant is not strong enough to channel a spirit. She first manifested when I was twelve or thirteen, then became a part of me at my coming-of-age, when I was given my tattoo.”

“Kid, this sounds like a cult,” Gabriel said bluntly.

“It was absolutely a cult,” Genji said, “but the truth of it is directly in front of you, is it not?”

Gabriel cautiously offered a hand for Soba to sniff, but instead ended up with an armful of warm dragon. “…Alrighty, then.”

“She is fierce in battle,” Genji chuckled, “but the rest of the time she’s a cuddlebug.”

“Why haven’t we seen her before now?” Gabriel rubbed Soba’s belly, eliciting delighted purrs that were strange and echoey to his ears.

Genji shrugged. “She can get nervous around new people.” He stiffened at the sound of footsteps on the stairs, and another burst of Japanese sent Soba spiraling around his right arm again before disappearing into the metal plates.

Gabriel studied the young man for a moment. “Thank you for trusting us,” he said softly. “We’ll keep your weird cat quiet.”

He was rewarded with a rare grin as the train finally rattled up to the platform.

\-----

There was a small, mom-‘n-pop ice cream shop two blocks away from the safehouse that looked almost like it was copy-pasted right out of an old movie, with the exception of the omnics at the counter. After a great deal of perusing, bargaining, and some mild threats of bodily harm if a certain cowboy didn’t hurry up, the trio finally strolled out with treats in hand.

Gabriel kept just ahead of his boys, who were hotly debating about…something. If he was honest, he had stopped paying attention the moment Genji had brought up mathematical algorithms. Still, it was good to see the two bonding, and the sight of Overwatch’s newest recruit willingly socializing with someone was more than he’d ever imagined when he’d first lifted the young man’s broken body from the floor of the palace that had once been his home.

_This transition will be difficult,_ Angela had warned as they stood at Genji’s bedside. _Are you sure you want to take him immediately? We could keep him here for a while to work with him-_

_No,_ he’d replied. _All due respect, but I don’t think he needs a panel of doctors right now._ Tension had fallen from her shoulders, and he knew he had made the right choice. The fruits of that choice were now coming to bloom.

“Ey, Papa,” Jesse called back, “question.”

“Answer.”

“D’ya think an ice Pokémon could be taken out by a lightnin’ one, or is there not enough water?”

“Ice! Is! Water! That’s! Solid!” Genji argued, poking Jesse firmly in the nose with each word. “You are a dumbass.”

“Gotta agree with Genji, _mijo,_ ” Gabriel said with a shrug.

“But in the next newest game, there’s only a forty-seven-percent chance in attacks that the lightnin’ fella’s gonna make it ‘cause lightnin’ doesn’t hit the same place twice!” Jesse said.

Genji’s eyes went wide in pure frustration. “Every word that just came out of your mouth is bullshit,” he said bluntly. “When we get back to the house, I will decimate your entire team.” He paused and glanced over at Gabriel. “Unless the commander needs anything.”

“My name is Gabriel,” he corrected gently, “and nah, you two can knock yourselves out. I’ve got a Skype date with my hot man and I don’t want you fools messing anything up.”

“Don’t care what you and Dad do in your free time as long as I don’t gotta hear it,” Jesse said.

“Well, better buy some earplugs because Papa’s got plans.”

“Mcfreackin’ dammit.”

“If you say that again, I will punch you in the throat.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Writing Notes:**  
>  1) They're in Boston! When I first started writing this, I had just come back from my trip to tour a school in Boston, so it was stuck in my brain. If you know Boston at all, I'm more picturing them being in Charlestown.  
> 2) This is Genji's, like, second or third mission. In the words of my sibling, he is baby.  
> 3) I can say from experience that Irish pubs with live music are great places to have private conversations. Other patrons likely can't hear you, and if they can, then they'll ignore you at any cost in favor of singing as loudly as possible.  
> 4) Genji was terrified that they would want to do something to his dragon or try and take advantage of him because of her. However, his own loneliness combined with Gabriel's patience and Jesse's insistent friendship wore him down rather quickly.  
> 5) Disclaimer: I know absolutely nothing about Pokemon.  
> 6) Adding "Mc" to the front of swearwords is my favorite thing and I've decided that Jesse does it too because it seems like something that's very Him. 
> 
> The next part is nearly done, so see you shortly! In the meantime, pop over to check out the first chapter of my dabble into Overwatch/Star Wars crossover fanfiction, because I have no restraint. 
> 
> I can be found on Tumblr as rina-san28 and on Twitter as @Madds_rosie!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter 2! 
> 
> This takes place two years after the last chapter, roughly one year before the fall of Overwatch.

Gabriel stared incredulously at the screen. “You’ve gotta be kidding me.”

Through the flickering feed, Sojourn offered a shrug. _“I mean, I wish I was, but yes, you are stranded. In Boston. Again.”_

“I literally – this is two years to the day,” he said. “How long do you think this one’ll last?”

_“Shorter than the last one, maybe a day, but there’s really no way to tell. We’ll just have to wait it out.”_

He ran a hand down his face. “Okay. Great. Just…call me as soon as it lifts, alright?”

_“Cross my heart, Gabriel. Sojourn out.”_ The screen went dark, and in its reflection Gabriel could see the bags under his eyes, the stress lines across his forehead, the grey creeping at his temples…

_Consider it a vacation,_ Jack had told him on the flight over. _Easy mission, beautiful city – it’s perfect._

_Not a vacation without my baby,_ Gabriel had said, and they both smiled, tight and bitter.

_Maybe next time._

He shook it off and stepped into the living room. “You folks are never gonna believe this.”

“We’re stuck again, aren’t we?” Genji asked, not even moving an inch from his upside-down lounge on the sofa.

“Yup. We’re not as lucky weather-wise as we were last time, so I was thinking we could just order in on Overwatch’s dime,” Gabriel suggested.

“I want Five Guys,” Jesse said immediately, and Genji fist-pumped in enthusiastic agreement. “Greasy food is the cure for every damn thing.”

“Now that’s a cause I can get behind. You want your usuals?”

“With milkshakes?” Genji said with the biggest puppy eyes he could manage.

“Thought that was implied.”

“Just covering my endzones.”

“They’re bases, Gen.” Gabriel glanced over to the kitchen table. “Moira? You want anything? We can order from more than one place.”

The geneticist shrugged. “A bacon cheeseburger will be just fine, thank you,” she said smoothly.

“Alright.” He plugged the order into his phone and sent it off. “I set it to come in a smidge under two hours, so you kids can finish your Smash tournament. I’m gonna try and get a bit of work done.” As casually as he could, he joined Moira at the table with his own laptop. He hadn’t been lying, exactly – he did have a mission report to write – but he took advantage of the time to try and quietly get used to the new recruit he hadn’t really wanted, but desperately needed. Securing her as an addition to his team had been extremely difficult, as the woman was not only inexperienced in fieldwork, but at the time she had been under investigation for ethical research violations. It was only the lucky combination of the reports turning up no real evidence of her alleged transgressions and Blackwatch’s desperate need for someone with specialized medical training that had convinced Jack to give the final approval for placement. Two short weeks later, they were shipped off to Boston.

Despite her far too brief training, Moira had performed admirably on the mission. She, Jesse, and Genji had been cordial and worked well together, easily stepping up and falling back as their roles had required, and she responded excellently to orders. Better yet, she hadn’t been the least bit phased by Genji’s complex cybernetics, unlike most of the other medics they had dragged along over the years. He just needed to break through the wall of formality a mile thick she’d thrown up and they would be golden.

“Hey, Moira? Mind plugging this in for me?” he asked, holding out his laptop cable. “You’re closer.”

“Of course, Commander,” she said, but he shook his head.

“You can just call me Gabriel,” he said. “No one’s gonna beat you for it.” Interestingly, she almost seemed to flinch, but before he could decide if it was a trick of the light or not, she turned away and plugged in the cable. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, Gabriel.”

The time passed in silence, aside from the occasional victory cry or insult from the living room combatants, but after an hour Gabriel had barely gotten anything done. Mildly frustrated, he snapped his laptop shut and checked his phone. “Hey, dinner’s coming pretty soon. Pack it up, boys – I slaved over a hot cell phone to get you this meal, so you’re setting the table.”

“Sure thing, Pops.” Jesse stood, then pulled Genji to a right-side-up position before cracking open the fridge. “Well, would you look at that,” he said. “There’s a few things in here a tinge stronger than water. Anybody up?”

“What’s there?”

“Couple bottles of champagne, a bottle of red, and a few different types of beer.”

“If there’s a Guinness, I’ll take it,” Moira said.

“Goin’ full Irish, huh?” Jesse joked. “Comin’ right up.” With a flourish, he brought over a glass bottle and set it on the table next to her. “M’lady.”

With a smirk on her face, Moira popped the top like a pro. “Slaínte,” she said, took a long swig, and then sighed in satisfaction. “It’s been quite a while.”

Jesse, however, was staring at her laptop screen. “Hey,” he said, leaning over her shoulder for a closer look, “that don’t look very science-y to me.”

“It isn’t.” Moira’s smirk turned into a full-blown smile. “My niece is finishing up her bachelor’s degree and asked me to look over her thesis. She’s majoring in art history.”

“I didn’t know you had any siblings,” Gabriel said, curious now.

“I don’t,” she said. “Emily’s father is my wife’s brother.”

“You’re married?” Jesse asked.

The geneticist’s hands clenched. “Widowed.”

“Jesus, Moira, I’m sorry-”

“No, it’s alright, Jesse, you didn’t know.” She swallowed. “I’m going upstairs. Let me know when dinner’s here.” Too quickly to be casual, she closed her laptop, grabbed her drink, and disappeared up the stairs.

Gabriel’s phone beeped. _Be prepared for extraction at 6:30 AM EST – LO xx_

Maybe the next one would go smoother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Writing Notes:**  
>  1) The end of Overwatch is creeping up, so things are getting tense. Gabriel's stress, long years of combat experience, and his age - according to the rough canon timeline, he'd be about 50 right now - are really starting to get to him.  
> 2) It's Moira! I debated for a really long time about how to introduce her, and finally decided that a "flashback" would work best. Why? Y'all will have to wait and see.  
> 3) Jesse and Genji are having a Smash tournament because my roomate, my sister, and I had a Smash tournament the other day. I got my butt handed to me, in case you were wondering.  
> 4) Genji likes to pretend he knows sports terminology and how to apply it. Spoiler alert: he doesn't, nor does he care to learn, to Jack, Ana, and Lena's eternal frustration.  
> 5) I don't think that Gabriel originally recruited Moira because he knew she could help him. I honestly think that it was originally for the team; he doesn't seem the type to put his own personal questions and issues before the health and safety of his team. Her medical experience and expertise would be a boon to both Genji and Gabriel's unique body buildup, and no one would ever think that a researcher could be working with a black ops team, so they would still have cover. It's a purely practical decision that...backfires, in a way for _all_ parties involved.  
> 6) I came up with that conversation first. Nothing like making new partnerships awkward straight away like immediately ripping into a very raw emotional wound.  
> 7) Anyone care to guess who Moira's niece might be? 
> 
> Things about to get complicated in the present-day for this AU, so hold onto your hats. It's showtime. 
> 
> If you have questions, requests, or would just like to say hi, I can be found on Tumblr as rina-san28 and on Twitter as @Madds_rosie!


End file.
